1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving support apparatus that informs a driver of supporting information relating to whether an oncoming vehicle is present or not when the vehicle turns left or right.
2. Description of Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-126199 (hereunder referred to as “Patent Document 1”) and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-31968 (hereunder referred to as “Patent Document 2”) disclose a driving support apparatus as a technique for supporting a driving in order to prevent a collision to a vehicle (oncoming vehicle that travels straight ahead), which travels straight ahead on an opposite road, with respect to an own vehicle that is waiting to turn left or right at a traffic intersection. Specifically, when the own vehicle enters a right turn lane or when the vehicle turns on a right-turn signal, the driving support apparatus described in Documents 1 and 2 acquires information of the vehicle, which travels on the opposite road, by road-to-vehicle communication with an infrastructure facility. When the apparatus determines that there is a risk of collision, or when the apparatus determines that the vehicle can turn right with safety, the apparatus informs a driver of the support information indicating the situation.
However, in the technique described in the above-mentioned applications, even when a driver can sufficiently determine whether he/she can turn left or right or not at his/her timing because he/she can well see the opposite road from his/her side, and hence, he/she can well catch a vehicle traveling straight on the opposite road, the driving support apparatus informs the driver of the support information indicating that there is a risk of collision, in case where the oncoming straight-ahead vehicle approaches the traffic intersection. The notification of the support information under such situation might give a redundant impression to the driver, whereby the driver is rather confused, which disturbs driving.
Therefore, an option is that, on an opposite road that can well be seen from a driver's side, the support information relating to the oncoming straight-ahead vehicle is not informed to the driver, in order to reduce a troublesome feeling given to the driver. However, when a vehicle traveling straight (lead straight-ahead vehicle) at the head on the opposite road is a large-sized vehicle, and a vehicle following the large-sized vehicle is an ordinary-sized vehicle or a motorcycle, or when the lead straight-ahead vehicle is an ordinary-sized vehicle, and a vehicle following the ordinary-sized vehicle is a motorcycle, the following vehicle is out of the driver's line of vision. Under this situation, it is preferable that the apparatus informs the driver of the support information relating to the oncoming straight-ahead vehicle.